System or Spirit

[System is in Sleep mode]

[Effective for 24 hours]

Ajay wasn't worried about this update. He thought it was the same as his computer updates. He felt a little weird that the system chose to sleep now. But who was he going to ask anyway? The system mall would be open for him but he didn't have enough points and coins to get intel on the system's current situation.

He had other imminent situations to deal with. Like how to introduce Tarsh. He had previously decided to pick him up when he arrived at the organization exchange center. It was near this forest. So he moved along the way quietly. He felt that the system chattering which he thought as the noise wasn't actually unpleasant. Because he felt a little lonely now. He didn't have many friends or people he could talk to. That is why he immersed himself in his work.

He was okay with this status quo. He knew he was adopted so he worked to make his father feel at ease in his old age. He invested at the right time and got a huge profit. He also had some losses which gave him many life lessons. People see him as rich and think he got it the easy way. But considering the amount of work he did, it's a return for him. And now that he inherited a large company, he also has many responsibilities.

His parents would be okay if he squandered it all away but he wanted them to live worry-free. He also has a sister now. He never had any relatives growing up. His adoptive father had a divorced sister who relocated to another place. So he had to spend his time on games and books. But his regrets seemed to vanish now because he had a great family. He hoped that he could get well along with them.

Throwing his thoughts aside, he walked to the periphery of the exchange center. He knew that someone would come out to take him in. It was their regular protocol. So when the officer came out, he was ready for a play and turned on his acting skills.

The officer was a tall man with a poker face. He looked stoic but Ajay thought that he was transferred here from the army. He also noticed that his uniform which was camouflage green had three blue stripes on his cuffs. The blue stripes represented his level. This officer was the commanding officer of his team. He knew that there were nearly forty teams. He himself was a member of the ground team.

There were teams in the ground, sky, water, and space. That's why he had no idea of the sky team's members. Nevertheless, he saluted the officer and noticed his facial features. His skin was tanned but considering his job, that was a consequence happily accepted.

But his eyes were friendly which greatly increased Ajay's guilt for deceiving him. He had lied but this seemed like a big situation and he had to do this. Tarsh and his entire world depended on this lie. He took a deep breath discretely which could be masked by his happiness for reaching the center.

"You didn't find anything over there, right? Happens to the best of us. That mission is to cool off some arrogant guys. You don't have to worry though if you fail," he said patting Ajay on the back.

Ajay finally read his name.

Officer Vinay

The name suited him. Before they could enter, the scene he had practiced and rehearsed started.

Tarsh came running in torn clothes and fainted before them. Ajay knew it was all for an act but still, he felt bad. He moved faster than the officer and picked him up. The officer moved towards the outside entrance and scouted the perimeters. He also launched a drone to check the surrounding gates and even some parts of the forest before easing up. Ajay admired him for his quick thinking. The officer did not let his sympathy take hold of him for making bad decisions. Because Tarsh could have been a spy and spies are very much trained for these kinds of jobs.

But in the meantime, he did not ignore Tarsh because of his doubt. He allowed Ajay to hold him and summoned the medical team with his communicator. The medical team took five minutes to arrive and the officer completed his preliminary check. He also commanded the border guards to send a search stream to look out in the woods.

Tarsh was carried out on the stretcher but he kept holding Ajay's palm. Everyone thought that the little guy trusted him so they let him tag along. After the doctor's visit, it was found that the little boy was just tired and he fainted from exhaustion. But only Tarsh knew that he helped Dhvani relieve some of her pain and so he also lost his energy. The guy was connected to her system space as a spirit.

He felt something wrong with her spirit so he checked in with her as soon as he got in his space. He saw that her soul was still strong but it lacked energy. He did not understand what his sister did to make her look like this. But he knew what to do. He had helped a ring spirit the same way when he was abandoned. And now the ring spirit was living in a museum where the visitors provided it with faith and nourished him.

So he connected with her and let her fill her energy void with his. The energy left him in a rapid way but he still held on. He didn't know but his innate nature told him that cutting the connection at this moment was deadly. He had met many spirits. Spirits could not live without getting attached to something. But it was the first time he saw a spirit without any attachment to anything. It seemed like she was a gust of wind that would blow away after some time.

So he knew that this site was some kind of strange situation and he really liked her. He had no family of his own. But whenever he went to get things from his space, he noticed other children. There were many who acted spoiled with other parents for toys and food. He had no one to do that. So he really liked this sister who would give him food, and clothes and let him play while watching cartoons.

He also liked his new brother. Though he was considered second to his sister, he was also good. He gave him his card and he still didn't take it back. That means he had money to buy anything he wanted. So he decided to make more money than his brother to reward him. The feather sister's spirit told him to exchange sincerity and that nothing should be taken for granted. He searched for many spirits and lived with them but those spirits were very slow. They needed faith energy and so he was quite bored with them.

They talked slowly, understood slowly, and did not eat. He understood that their spirit animal should be a sloth, like the one in Zootopia. But those spirits stayed back in time. They didn't understand the latest trends so when cell phones were being used, these spirits came to know about pigeons. But he did not dislike them. He never told them about the new innovations because he was scared that their world would not be able to accommodate all the new things.

He waited with bated breath to see Dhvani's soul stabilizing and then he got the signal from the eagle lord Tej. He did not act like previously discussed and gorgeously fainted before Ajay. He knew that he would catch him.

Dhvani woke up with a massive headache and felt something was amiss. She did not know how fast she was supposed to wake up but that didn't stop her from understanding that her condition was good. She then noticed her automatic system prompts. According to the system's standards, the wait should be twenty-four hours but she woke up twelve hours earlier. Now she knew that someone helped her. It wasn't hard to guess.

Only one person had that ability and she smiled softly thinking about the little guy. He was the cute brother she never had. Her biological brother was a mischievous guy so she envied the sensible brothers who were from different families. Now she got one.

The system host communication was still on so she quickly opened it. Seeing the little guy lying there quietly, she felt a pain in her chest. She didn't want him to do this. She would be fine if she slept for more time but the little guy still healed her. This kind of understanding person was truly the Spirit Emperor all the animals praised. But she could also guess the fatality of this particular job. Being a king isn't as glorious as it seemed.

The power and status also came at a price. She didn't want this little guy to lose hope and feel the worst of this world. She knew she could try to protect him but it wouldn't solve the crux of the problem. She had to teach him more so he could know not to hurt himself at every turn.

Then Ajay got up to discuss the matter of his mission. His debriefing went well and his superiors had no idea that the mission which was considered impossible by them was completed by him but he chose to hide it all. Anyway, the Ice World would keep changing and no one would consider a rookie responsible for it. Also, the changes would take some time to reflect. He gave the oral report and left the room.

He went towards the personnel department to great his identity card and waited to know out the info on Tarsh. He knew the standard protocol. And considering the database the organization had, they would find that Tarsh was not registered. He would be placed in an orphanage with surveillance.

He met with the head of the department, Mr. Raj. He was an obese short guy who looked like he didn't care about his job. This seemed good.

"Sir, I want to adopt this little guy."

Raj looked at Ajay between eating his biscuits and drinking juice.

"It is hard. You know, I need to send him to an officer who gives me regular updates."

"I can do that too. Please officer, as a favor to me. Can you let this one slide?"

Raj did not look that much interested in where Tarsh was adopted but was just trying to make this hard.

So Ajay had to give him some benefits before it was settled.

More importantly, investing in the institute had some perks. This went without a problem. Where did he know that Ajay and Tarsh were acquaintances? Maybe mistakes or rather shortsightedness like this caused disasters. So Ajay was allowed to take the little guy as soon as he woke up and completed his discharge formalities.

Tarsh didn't wake for two days. Dhvani was worried and she couldn't tell Ajay. But Ajay was also worried so he regularly checked up on I'm but the doctors assured him that the guy was only tired and he would wake up soon.

He also became good friends with Officer Vinay. He learned that he was retired from the army and now worked with the organization. He also gave training concerning military equipment. Ajay had some acquaintances with the members of his graduating class and team in the supernatural agency while he was training. Everyone there wanted to prove themselves so no one became close. And they never had a group mission o from a life and death comradeship.

He also met other guards and they seemed like good guys. Ajay gave them all fifty percent off on his company's products. And they all rejoiced. Most soldiers live in the organization so all their salary is given to their families. Their sacrifice earned us free life. Ajay could give them free if he wanted but he knew that they wouldn't accept so he thought of another way He would organize a raffle that could favor soldiers and allow them many products at low prices.

His two days at the center went very well and when Tarsh woke up, he bade goodbye. As soon as they were out of the organization's visual limit, Dhvani retrieved the guy back into space and hugged him.

Tarsh giggled and laughed out loud. She let him go and gave him his favorite food. She believed in a balanced diet so this time she gave him healthy delicious food.

"You shouldn't do this at your own risk," she admonished him.

"But sister, you only have a spirit here. If you were attached to something, I wouldn't worry." He answered with a mouthful of food.

And Dhvani was shocked to know that she was a spirit not a manifestation of data. That surely changed a lot of things in her view. She always thought she wasn't a spirit but some kind of living being even if she died. She needed a minute to digest all this.